This invention generally relates to optical fuzing systems and is particularly concerned with an optical fuzing system which is combined with the guidance system optics within the target sensing head of a guided missile, the optical fuzing system effecting detonation of a missile warhead at a prescribed range.
Automatic guidance of a projectile or missile has been accomplished through numerous different techniques as is well-known in the art, such techniques utilizing a target sensing head of the missile responsive to electromagnetic radiation from a target so as to effect tracking and guidance. The target sensing head of such systems typically incorporates an optical receiving assembly by which the radiation from the target is received and collected. In this respect, it should be appreciated that the term "optical" as employed herein should be construed as being descriptive not only of visible light processing systems, but also as being descriptive of systems for collecting, directing, refracting, transducing, and detecting all forms of electromagnetic radiant energy including both visible/invisible light rays, infrared energy, and radio frequency waves.
The optical guidance system within the target sensing head is employed to detect and determine the position and movement of a target with respect to a given point of observation. Initially, as is typical, the receiving optical assembly of the target sensing head first scans or searches through the field of view so as to detect the desired target. Once the target is so located, the optical receiving assembly generally is gyroscopically driven through servo-systems and other guidance control means which are responsive to the received guidance radiation so as to rotate the optical axis of the receiving assembly and effect tracking of the target.
The thrust of the instant invention is not directed per se to such optical guidance systems, the above information merely being provided as general background. Reference is made to the prior-art literature for specific teachings of conventional guidance systems, such as is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,239,674, 3,219,294, 3,021,096, 3,133,188, and others, these patent disclosures being herein incorporated by reference.
In cooperation with this missile guidance or tracking function, prior-art systems further utilize fuzing or range-finding techniques such that the missile warhead will be detonated at a prescribed range. It is this aspect of the overall guidance control system to which the instant invention is primarily directed. Typically, prior-art optical fuzing systems are separate from the guidance radiation receiving optics within the target sensing head of a missile, the optical fuze systems typically incorporating a radiation transmitting device which emits radiation outwardly from the missile in the general direction of the target, the fuze transmitter radiation being scattered by the target and subsequently received by a sensing apparatus to derive the requisite range information. When the missile is not directly aligned with the target, the fuze radiation of such prior-art systems would not be emitted in the target direction and, consequently, this requisite fuzing information would temporarily be lost, until the optical guidance system of the missile corrected the missile alignment and direction.